# Upper Colorado River Basin snowpack Basin snow water equivalent vs the 1991-2020 median, 136 SNOTEL stations _Data through Jul 25, 2026 · source last checked Jul 26, 2026 · page revised Jul 26, 2026_ > Snow season over — last quoted Jun 11, 2026. > Snow year complete. Upper Colorado River Basin's snowpack peaked at 8.8 in of snow water equivalent around Mar 8, 2026, 59% of the normal peak. The 2027 snow year begins October 1. Upper Colorado River Basin's snowpack peaked at 8.8 in on March 8, 59% of the normal 14.9 in. Water-year precipitation totaled 21.4 in, 82% of the 1991-2020 median. ## The numbers | Measure | Value | | --- | --- | | This season's peak (SWE) | 8.8 in on Mar 8, 2026 | | Normal peak (1991-2020 median) | 14.9 in | | Peak vs normal peak | 59% | | Percent of median at last snow reading | 0% (Jun 11, 2026) | | Water-year precipitation to date | 21.4 in (82% of median) | ## About Upper Colorado River Basin snowpack Snow water equivalent (SWE) is the depth of water held in the snowpack, and it is the single number that best predicts the coming spring and summer runoff. Depth alone can mislead: a deep, dry snowpack can hold less water than a shallow, dense one. The Waterline reads Upper Colorado River Basin's snowpack from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service SNOTEL network using the standard basin-index method. It sums the current water content across the 136 SNOTEL stations inside the Upper Colorado River Basin (hydrologic units 14), divides by the sum of those same stations' 1991-2020 medians for the date, and reports the ratio as percent of median, so a deep high-elevation site counts for more than a shallow valley one and a station with no long-term normal never distorts the number. The inch figures shown here are the average snow water equivalent across those reporting stations. Snow builds from about October, normally peaks near April 1, and melts out by early summer. Once the normal snowpack for the date nears zero, percent of median stops being a meaningful number, so this page reports the season's peak instead of a percentage until the snow returns. ## About this data - Source: USDA NRCS SNOTEL (Air-Water Database) - Series: Snow water equivalent (WTEQ), basin-index percent of the 1991-2020 median - Geography: Upper Colorado River Basin - Unit: in - Calculation period: Daily reading, aggregated across reporting SNOTEL stations - Last observation: Jun 11, 2026 - Update frequency: Daily in season (Oct-Jun); melts out by mid-summer --- Cite: Upper Colorado River Basin snowpack: 8.8 in on Mar 8, 2026 as of Jul 25, 2026 (USDA NRCS SNOTEL, basin-index SWE). The Waterline. https://the-waterline.com/snowpack/upper-colorado-river-basin Canonical URL: https://the-waterline.com/snowpack/upper-colorado-river-basin